Collocations with verbs + prepositions

Why do we describe McDonald's as a “fast food” restaurant, not a “quick food” restaurant? Because English speakers are accustomed to using collocations, which are two or more words that often go together. That’s why we say “happy hour” and not “joyful hour”.

Collocations are fixed expressions or word pairings that just sound "right" to native English speakers because we tend to use these combinations over and over again. There is nothing wrong with speaking freely and not collocating, but doing so would reveal that you aren't a native speaker whose meaning many not be clear.

Because these words are “fixed” together, they must be memorized. One area where English learners run into trouble is knowing verb + preposition collocations. It’s vital that they be paired correctly. Using prepositions is rather difficult anyway but people find it easier to remember verbs + prepositions as sets rather than as individual words.

Here is a list of common verb + preposition collocations:

A

• accuse (someone) of ([doing] something)
• 
add (something) to (something else)
• 
admire (someone) for ([doing] something)

• agree on (topic)
• 
agree with (someone)

• apologize to (someone) for ([doing] something)
• 
apply to (a place) for (something)
• 
approve of (something)

• argue with (someone) about (topic)
• 
arrive at (a building, room, site, event)
• 
arrive in (a city, country)
• 
ask (someone) about (someone/topic)

• ask (someone) for (something)

B

• believe in (something)

• belong to (someone)
• 
blame (someone) for ([doing] something)

• borrow (something) from (someone)

C

• care about (someone/something/topic)
• 
comment on (topic)
• 
compare (something) to/with (something else)

• complain to (someone) about (something)
• 
concentrate on ([doing] something)
• 

congratulate (someone) for/on ([doing] something)

• consist of (some things)

• consent to ([doing] something)
• 
contribute to (something)
• 
count on (someone) to (do something)
• 
cover (something) with (something else)

D

• decide on (topic)
• 
depend on (someone) for (something)

• discuss (something) with (someone)
• 
distinguish (something) from (something else)
• 
dream about/of (someone/something)

E

• escape from (somewhere)
• 
explain (topic) to (someone)
• 
excuse (someone) for ([doing] something)

F

• forgive (someone for ([doing] something)

G

• get rid of (something)
• 
graduate from (a place)

H

• happen to (someone)
• 
help (someone) with (something)
• 
hide (something) from (someone)

I

• insist (up)on (something)

• introduce (someone) to (someone else)
• 
invite (someone) to (an event)

K

• keep (something) for (someone)

M

• matter to (someone)

O

• object to (something)

P

• participate in (something)
• 
pay (price) for (something)
• plan on ([doing] something)
• 
pray for (someone/something)

• prefer (something) to (something else)
• 
prevent (someone) from ([doing] something)

• prohibit (someone) from ([doing] something)

• protect (someone) from (something)
• 
provide (someone) with (something)

R

• recover from (something)
• 
rely (up)on (someone/something)
• 
remind (someone) of (something)
• 
rescue (someone) from (something)
• 
respond to (someone/something)

S

• save (someone) from (something)

• search for (something)

• separate (something) from (something else)
• 
scold (someone) for ([doing] something)
• 
smile at (someone)
• 
speak to/with (someone) about (topic)
• 
stare at (something/someone)
• 
stop (someone) from ([doing] something)
• 
subscribe to (something)
• 
substitute (something) for (something else/someone)

• subtract (something) from (something else)
• 
succeed in ([doing] something)
• 
suffer from (something)

T

• take advantage of (someone/something/situation)
• 
take care of (something/someone)

• talk to/with (someone) about (topic)
• 
thank (someone) for ([doing] something)
• 
travel to (somewhere)


V

• vote for (someone)

• vouch for (someone)

W

• wait for (someone/something)
• 
wish for (something)

• work for (company/something/someone)

Do I use the present perfect or simple past?

The present perfect tense, in addition to the simple past tense, is used to speak about past events. The present perfect can be confusing for English learners because there are three instances in which we use it, so as you speak you must keep these cases in mind, and that's a lot to think about when you're trying to speak spontaneously.
Ask yourself these three questions to determine whether you need the simple past or the present perfect:


1. Has the time period finished?
(Day, week, month, year, etc.)
Yes = use the simple past.
No = use the present perfect.

2. Is it new information or old?
Old information = simple past
New information = present perfect

3. Is it a specific time?
Time is specific (yesterday, last year, ten years ago) = simple past
Time is not specific or not mentioned = present perfect


When you speak more, you will soon become familiar with what sounds good or what sounds a little strange to your ear. It takes a little conversation and speaking practice but you can do it!

Let’s Talk About Sports

The 2012 summer Olympic games are currently taking place in London so this is a perfect opportunity to discuss sports, in particular, the verbs we use when participating in sporting and fitness activities: play, do, and go.

Let’s say you like tennis. Do you do tennis, go tennis, or play tennis? Which way sounds the best? What about yoga? Do yoga, go yoga, or play yoga? Hmmm . . .

PLAY
Play is used with ball sports or competitive games where we play against another person:
How often do you play soccer? - Soccer is a ball sport.
I love playing a good game of ping-pong from time to time. - Ping-pong is a competitive game. We play to win.
 It's also a ball sport.
Luca always wins when he plays Scrabble. - Scrabble is a competitive game so we use play.

DO
Do is used for a recreational activity or a non-team sport that does not use a ball:
I heard that you do yoga. - yoga is a non-team activity.
I do crossword puzzles in my free time. - crossword puzzles are not competitive.


GO
Go is used with activities that end in -ing::
Mattia is going sailing on Saturday.

Are you going ice skating this winter?

Maria said she was going jogging.

What is your favorite sport or recreational activity?